Attorney General Doug Gansler issues an opinion after gun rights advocates say they're concerned with the legality of the Maryland State Police hiring temporary workers to help process a massive backlog of gun applications.

Earlier this month, the state police recruited employees from five state agencies to input information on gun applications into a police data base.

The move is designed to help alleviate a tremendous backlog of 57,732 applications. Gun buyers wanted to get ahead of the Oct. 1 start of implementing tighter gun control legislation signed by the governor.

The complaint seeks a court order to stop police from using non-police personnel. It cites several privacy concerns, including Social Security numbers and mental health information being shared with data processors and placed on an unsecured website.

The complaint alleges the website fails to use any encryption and that all the users are provided with the same name and password to get access.

The complaint contends that using non-police employees violates state law. The section states that police may request assistance only from the Baltimore City police commissioner, the chief of police from any county or the sheriff in a county that does not maintain a police force.

During an in chambers meeting with a judge, the AG's office countered with details of the steps state police have taken to alleviate all of those concerns.

On Sept. 11, the state police stopped using employees from all but one other agency. All user names and passwords used by outside help have been terminated. The website was removed.

Next week, 24 workers with the State Department of Corrections will help knock down a back log of 10,000 applications. Data entry has been moved to an internal MSP network, access is encrypted and each DPSCS employee will get a unique log in and password.

Although state police have resolved each issue, it doesn't erase what has already been done if gun advocates do file for an injunction. A hearing could be scheduled in open court next Friday.

LIVE, LOCAL, LATEBREAKING -- THIS IS 11 NEWS AT 6:00 P.M. [CAPTIONING MADE POSSIBLE BY CONSTELLATION ENERGY GROUP] MARYLAND GUN RIGHTS ADVOCATES TAKE THE STATE POLICE TO COURT. THAT IS OUR BIG STORY TONIGHT. MARYLAND GUN CLUB SPENT THE NIGHT -- THE AFTERNOON IN COURT. THEY ASKED A COURT TO STOP THE STATE POLICE FROM USING OTHER AGENCY EMPLOYEES TO PROCESS GUN APPLICATIONS. DAVID COLLINS JOINS US LIVE FROM ANNAPOLIS WITH THE DECISION. THE JUDGE DENIED THE REQUEST FOR A TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER, BUT THIS DOESN'T SETTLE THE ISSUE. BUT ADVOCATES ARE LIKELY TO SEEK A PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION. MARYLAND GUN CLUBS AND THOSE SEEKING TO PURCHASE FIREARMS CONTEND THE STATE POLICE COMPROMISE GUN OWNERS PERSONAL INFORMATION. EARLIER THIS MONTH, THE STATE POLICE RECRUITED EMPLOYEES FROM FIVE STATE AGENCIES TO INPUT INFORMATION ON GUN APPLICATIONS INTO A POLICE DATABASE. THE MOVE IS DESIGNED TO HELP ALLEVIATE A TREMENDOUS BACKLOG OF THE 5732 APPLICATIONS. GUN BUYERS WANTED TO GET AHEAD OF THE OCTOBER 1 START OF IMPLEMENTING TIGHTER GUN CONTROL LEGISLATION SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR. THE COMPLAINT SEEKS A COURT ORDER TO STOP POLICE FROM USING NONPOLICE PERSONNEL. IT CITES SEVERAL PRIVACY CONCERNS, INCLUDING SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS AND MENTAL HEALTH INFORMATION BEING SHARED WITH DATA PROCESSORS AND PLACED ON A NONSECURE WEBSITE. THE COMPLAINT ALLEGES THE WEBSITE FAILS TO USE ANY ENCRYPTION AND THAT ALL THE USERS ARE PROVIDED WITH THE SAME NAME AND PASSWORD TO GET ACCESS. THE COMPLAINT CONTENDS THAT USING NONPOLICE EMPLOYEES VIOLATES STATE LAW. THIS SECTION STATES THAT POLICE RIM -- MAY REQUEST ASSISTANCE ONLY FROM THE BALTIMORE CITY POLICE COMMISSIONER. OR A SHARE IN ANY COUNTY THAT DOES NOT MAINTAIN A POLICE FORCE. THE STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE ISSUED AN OPINION, STATING USING EMPLOYEES FROM OTHER AGENCIES IS OK. TASTE IN PART ON THE STEPS POLICE HAVE TAKEN TO ENSURE CONFIDENTIALITY OF APPLICANTS AND THEIR PERSONAL INFORMATION. THE AG'S OFFICE COUNTERED WITH DETAILS OF STEPS STATE POLICE HAVE TAKEN TO ALLEVIATE CONCERNS. THEY STOPPED USING EMPLOYEES FROM ALL BUT ONE OTHER AGENCY. ALL USERNAMES AND PASSWORDS USED BY OUTSIDE AGENCIES HAVE BEEN TERMINATED. THE WEBSITE REMOVED. NEXT WEEK, 24 WORKERS WITH THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS WILL HELP KNOCK DOWN A BACKLOG OF 10,000 APPLICATIONS. DATA ENTRY HAS BEEN MOVED TO AN INTERNAL NETWORK, AND ACCESS IS ENCRYPTED, AND EACH EMPLOYEE WILL GET A UNIQUE LOGIN AND PASSWORD. MARYLAND STATE POLICE HAVE RESOLVED EACH AND EVERY SINGLE ISSUE, BUT IT STILL DOES NOT A RACE WITH HIS ALREADY BEEN DONE. IF GUN ADVOCATES WANT TO PURSUE THIS CASE BY AN OPEN HEARING,